Device for holding and moistening postage-stam ps



(No Model.)

J. H. BREESE.

DEVICE FOR HOLDING AND MOISTENING POSTAGE STAMPS.

No. 383,037. Patented May 15, 1888.

N. PETERS. Hmm-Lnhw m her, wuhin mn, D; C.

UNITED STATES PATENT EEicE.

JOHN H. BREESE, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

DEVICE FOR HOLDING AND MOISTENING PCSTAGE-STAIV'IPQ.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 383,037, dated May 15, 1888.

Application filed November 14, 1887. Serial No. 255,088. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN H, BREESE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minne apolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Holding and Moistening Postage'Stamps, of which the following'is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a postagestamp holder adapted to rest in convenient position on a desk, and having means for moistening a stamp as it is drawn from the holder.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of this improved postagestamp holder. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section thereof. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4, is a plan view of this improved postage-stamp holder, provided with several compartments for postage-stamps of different denominations, a portion of the top plate being broken away.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures.

The body 10 of this improved postage'stamp holder is preferably constructed of cast metal in the form of a rectangular box,'the front end of which forms an inclined ledge, 11. This box is divided by a transverse partition, 12, into a stamp-compartment, 13, and a water compartment, 1 1. A top plate, 15, preferably provided with an inwardly-projecting flange, 16, is placed over the top of the box, and held in place by any suitable mea11s--for instance, by inclining the flange 16 at the front end and causing it to engage or dovetail with the inwardly-beveled upper edge of the front of the box, and by means of a screw, 17, which passes through the top plate or through a lug, 18, thereon into a screw-threaded socket, 19, at the end of or within the box. This top plate, 15, is provided opposite the stamp-compartment with a rectangular longitudinal slot, 20, about the size of a postagestamp, and with a transverse slot, 21, opposite the water-com partnient. The plate is also provided at opposite sides of the longitudinal slot with inwardly-projecting lugs 22. A movable plate,

23, is disposed within the stamp-compartment, and a spring, 2 1, preferably a conical spiral spring, is interposed between and attached at its opposite ends to said plate and to the bottom of the compartment. The plate 23 is concaved longitudinally on its upper face, and the spring tends to press said plate up against the lugs, and is designed to clamp the postagestamps 25, placed in the box between said plate and lugs. The curvature of the upper face of the plate tends to guide the stamp as it is withdrawn from the box. The top plate is provided with inturned flanges 26, which project downward at opposite ends of the longitudinal slot, 20, and serve as guides for the movable plate 23 and for the stamps as they are pushed out of the box. A roller, 27, is journaled in grooved bearings 28 within the water-compartment, and projects through the transverse slot 21 in the top plate. This roller is preferably constructed of a perforated hollow tube, capped at its ends for the journals. Being hollow, this roller permits water to flow into its interior, so that a larger quantity can be contained in the water-compartment, and, being perforated, it may distribute more water over its periphery for wetting the stamps.

The top plate, 15, is provided between the stamp-compartment 13 and moistening-roller 27 with a curved apron, 29, which serves to guide the stamps from said compartment to the roller, and between the roller and the letterledge 11 said plate is provided with a curyed apron, 30, which serves to guide the stamps from the roller to the letters placed on said ledge.

The flange 26 at the inner end of the stamp- 85 compartment serves as an extension or lip of the apron 29, which is thus made to project inward below the movable clamping-plate 23. This extension or lip of the apron serves to guide the stamps off said plate and avoids 9o tearing their edges.

A shoulder or stop, 31, is formed at the up per end of the letterledge 11.

For containing stamps of different denominations the box may be made of suitable size 5 and divided by longitudinal partitions 32 into a plurality of stamp-compartments, in which case the top plate will be provided with a longitudinal slot, 20, opposite each stamp-compartment. In this case one elongated roller is :00 preferably used for moistening the stamps from all the compartments.

The operation is as follows: A number of p0stage-stamps,from one hundred to one thousand, more or less according to the depth of the box, are placed one above another, face up, in the stamp-compartment 13 upon the plate 23, and the spring 24 tends to clamp them between the plate and the lugs 22. WVhen a letter is to be stamped, it is pushed up the inclined letter-ledge 11 until it comes in contact with the stop 31. The operator then presses his forefinger upon the top stamp Within the box, releasing it from the lugs, and then draws it forward over the apron 29 onto the moistening-roller 27,0ver the apron 30 onto the letter, where it is made to adhere by a slight pressureof the finger.

In the use of this improvement postagestamps will always be found conveniently at hand, and they can be rapidly applied to letters Without the annoyance and danger incident to the moistening of them with the tongue.

I claim- 1. In a postage-stamp holder, the combination of a stamp-compartment having an open top provided with inwardly-projecting lugs, a movable clamping-plate within said compartment, 2. spring for actuating said clampingplate, a water compartment, a moisteningroller therein, and a guide-apron between said stampcompartment and roller, said guideapron having aninwardly-projecting lip which extends below said clalnpingplate, substantially as described.

2. In a postage-stamp holder, the combination of a ledge for a letter to be stamped, a stamp compartment, and an intermediate moistening-roller, substantially as set forth.

3. In a postage-stamp holder, the combination of a stamp-compartment, a water-compartment adjacent thereto, a moistening-roller Within the watercompartment, a guide-apron between said compartments, and a ledge for the letter, substantially as set forth.

4. In a postage-stamp holder, the combination of a stam'pcompartment, a water -compartment adjacent thereto, a moistening-roller within said water compartment, and a letterledge having a shoulder at its upper end, substantially as set forth.

JOHN l-I. BREESE.

Witnesses:

F. O. SOMES, D. E. SoMEs. 

